The Versatility of the Bioeconomy. Sustainability Aspects of the Use of Bran

Abstract

As food consumption increases, so does the number of agricultural by-products. That is why it is necessary to find the best possible uses for them, operating by the principles of the bioeconomy. This work aims to gather information on the possibilities of using grain byproducts to develop new products and evaluate which bran products are the most suitable for commercialisation based on economic, environmental, social, and technical factors. Two methods were used in this work: literature review and multi-criteria decision analysis. As a result, 30 products were identified that could be made by using wheat bran, straw, husk, and dust. The products were divided into six groups – packaging materials, building materials, adsorbents, fuel, thermal insulation materials, and chemicals. In multi-criteria decision analysis, it was looked at seven bran products of which the best alternative for further commercialisation is mycelium-based biocomposite.